Veiled
by Sarge51
Summary: Veil, something that hides something else. It blocks one from seeing the truth or seeing through a facade. Most never notice the veil, but sometimes someone is lucky enough to see through it. Young Midorya Izuku is one who has the veiled sight, he can see beyond the veil. What will become of our young hero?
1. The Beginning

Quirkless. He was quirkless and that was a fact. To be anything but quirkless was to go against the 'truth' that he had been told since he was four years old. Regardless of his own thoughts, ideas, experiences and beliefs; he was quirkless. Besides, who would believe the truth? He'd tried telling people the truth and all it ever did was land him right where he was now, strapped to a bed in a room of six empty beds and white walls with an IV bag full of a chemical cocktail meant to calm his 'fragile and confused young mind'. He'd spent ten years forcing himself to act the part that they wanted him to play, now he was paying for it.

A fourteen year old Midorya Izuku was currently in the overnight care ward of a local mental institution in downtown Musutafu. He'd been coming to this 'clinic' since he was six years old. Eight years of being told he was 'mentally unhinged' and that his grip with reality was loose due to the shock of being quirkless had led him hear. He still remembers the day his mother decided he needed 'help', if you can even call it that…

 _A six year old Izuku was sitting in the office of doctor Iginawa Shoji, a child Psychologist. He was seated on an office chair beside his mother while she spoke with the doctor. Izuku busied himself by looking around the sparsely decorated office space. There were white washed walls, a drop in tile ceiling and white tiled floor. The desk was dull grey, the white papers on it adding to the sense of sterility and blandness. The overhead fluorescent lighting buzzed in the small space. The large wall clock on the right side of the room clicked every so often to signify that the minute had advanced._

 _The doctor, a man in his early thirties with black hair, glasses, a square jaw, hard dark eyes and an already greying mustache, nodded as Inko listed off the various times Izuku had told her of his quirk. She always told him he had such an active imagination and that it was nothing more than that. Izuku knew better though. His mother didn't see the fantastical birds, the colorful flowers, the creatures that skurried and hid away from people as they passed by. No one ever saw them, ever said anything, ever noticed them. Everyone except Izuku that is. He saw everything, he could see what shouldn't be able to be seen._

 _Izuku loved that he had a quirk, it didn't matter to him that he couldn't show anyone else. All that mattered to Izuku was that he had one. His eyes saw things that others would deem fantasy or nonsense. He wrote down all of his sightings in a small notebook and he treasured it. Izuku idly picked at his shorts as he thought of the week before when he showed his mother his notebook. He had been so proud of it, even going so far as to point out some of the flowers he had pressed into the pages. His mother didn't share his enthusiasm however. She just looked at him with this sad eyed expression, as if she was about to cry. Izuku was brought out of his thoughts when the Doctor spoke._

" _I see, yes, I understand. Mrs. Midorya, I believe your son Izuku may be suffering from mental trauma brought on by the shock of being Quirkless. Everything you've told me and everything that young Izuku has told me in our monthly meetings leads me to believe that he needs more...severe treatment. I would like to start him out on a few light medications and see where that takes us…" Izuku jerked his head up and stared at the doctor as his voice trailed off. He looked between the doctor and his mother with a distraught look on his face and tears welling up in his eyes._

" _But..b-but I'm not sick! There's nothing wrong with me! M-Momma, I told you! I have a quirk! Why do I need medicine?" Izuku asked his mother, eyes welling with heavy tears and his voice quivering in his throat. He didn't understand! Why was he getting medicated when there was nothing wrong with him?_

 _Inko stared into her sons eyes with sadness in her heart. She hadn't wanted it to come to this, but she had no other options. She had tried everything and her poor sweet boy was only getting worse. At first it had been seeing birds and flowers that weren't there. Then he started to point out animals that no one could see and people where there weren't any. She had tried so hard to help him through it, but she just didn't have the experience necessary to help her little angel. Tears filled her green eyes as she placed her hand on Izuku's shoulder. She smiled at her boy, even if that smile didn't reach her eyes._

" _It's going to be okay Izuku. Mommy knows that y-you're special, but she also knows that you need h-help! Help that Mommy can't give you…" Inko struggled to get the words out without stuttering. The tears that had been welling in her eyes started to fall and streak down her face as she tightened her grip on her little angel. Izuku was now openly crying and it was breaking her already weakened heart._

" _M-mommy l-l-loves you so v-very much Izuku. I just w-w-want you to b-be able to live a happy life and t-to be a normal person like everyone else." Inko's voice ended in a whisper, barely able to finish her words. Izuku was now openly crying and trying desperately to wipe the tears away with balled up fists. He sniffled as he choked out his next few words, the doctor was silent as he let the small family have their moment._

" _I-I thought I w-was normal M-Momma! Is it because I see stuff? I swear it's my q-quirk!" defended Izuku. He knows he has a quirk, he must! It didn't matter what the kids at school say or what the people he's tried to talk to think. He knows the truth and that truth is the fact that he has a quirk! His mother fell to her knees and slid in front of him, holding him close as they both cried. She held onto him tight, tighter than he can ever remember as she cries. Her next words hit him somewhere deep in his heart._

" _Momma Loves you so very much Izuku. You're h-her little angel. I'm s-so s-sorry I wasn't strong enough to give you a quirk. I'm s-s-so sorry I let you down. You're such a good boy! I just want you to be happy my little Izuku." Inko struggled to get the words out as she cried and held her little boy tightly. She was so sorry that she couldn't give her angel what he deserved. She cried and cried as she held him. She only stopped when she felt Isuku push her back lightly._

" _Momma?" asked Isuku. Inko looked into his eyes and noticed he had a small smile on his face. She wiped a few tears away as he smiled a little bigger._

" _You don't have to cry Momma. I'll...I'll take the medicine." said Izuku, his voice firm and filled with as much conviction as a child of six can muster. Izuku didn't want to take medicine, he didn't want to tell people that he was quirkless when he wasn't, but his mother didn't deserve to feel how she did. She was a fantastic mother and it hurt him that she blamed herself so heavily. He would do anything to see his Momma happy._

 _Inko smiled at her little boy and pulled him in for another hug._

" _It's going to be okay Izuku, you'll see. The good doctor will have you all better in no time!" Said Inko. If only she had been right, but neither of them had no idea that things would go so...badly._

Izuku sighed as he leaned back in the hospital bed. He was held down by straps incase the new medication happen to have adverse effects. If all went well today, they said, he would not need to come back. That at least made the teen feel a tad bit better. He was growing very tired of his monthly visits to this clinic. They always had some new concoction of medication to go along with his normal meds, a hybrid between pimavanersin, clozapine, lurasidone, risperdal and geodyne. It had taken years for the doctors to find something that made his hallucinations go away, but they found that this little concoction did the best. It was a small red pill, round with a blue stripe across it's center, that he took four times a day. It wasn't without some side effects though.

The usual side effects were drowsiness, restlessness, inability to sleep, muscle cramps, sensitivity to light and a general numbness to everything. Izuku didn't mind though, he would do anything to make his mom happy. He even attempted to play up how he felt whenever he was around her. Feel warm? Fire hot. Feel a bit light in the chest from a nice compliment or gift? Big huge grin and an 'I love you mom!'. He knew it was all an act, but he truly loved his mom. She's why he was still here.

Izuku still had moments where he swore he had a quirk, but most days the meds took care of that and he just resigned himself to staring at the ceiling in his room or writing in his notebooks. Speaking of which, izuku pulled out notebook number 37 and flipped it open to the newest page. A woman was sketched onto the page and striking a pose. The corner of the page said Mt. Lady. He had written this entry the other day and was reviewing it while he waited for the IV to empty. Isuku loved writing about heroes, quirks, or really anything that fascinated him. Heroes were by far his favorite though. He knew that deep down, somewhere that was forgotten and hidden, he desired nothing more than to be a hero…

The door to the room opened and a nurse with pink hair and blue eyes walked in. She wore pink scrubs and had a bright smile on her face. She checked her clipboard and checked the IV bag. This was the nurse that had been tasked with his care for two years, Sakata Akiko. She was short, thin, bubbly and a sweet young woman. Izuku liked her attitude, made this bland shithole more bearable.

After a few more checks she marked off a few things on her clipboard and then smiled as she turned her gaze to him. She started undoing his straps and began the removal of the IV.

"I'm glad that we didn't need the restraints this time Izu-kun! You were very good today. Feel anything out of the ordinary?" Asked Akiko, genuine concern on her face. Izuku smiled and managed to make it reach his eyes as he shook his head.

"No issues here Sakata-san. I'm just glad it's over for now." Answered Izuku. He shifted and rubbed his wrists as Akiko finished bandaging his puncture site. He was glad that the various scars from years of injections and IV's had been covered up. He rolled the black sleeves of his jacket back down his arms and blew a lock of his lengthening green hair out of his eyes. Akiko smiled as she took a step back. Izuku sat up and swung is legs over the side of the bed, black pants of his school uniform making an audible sound as they rubbed the sheet of the hospital bed. He took a look around the white sterile room as he stretched.

"Alright Izuku-kun! Looks like you're all set to go! Good luck and hopefully this'll be the last time you have to come visit! Hehe." Laughed Akiko. She smiled, eyes closed as she held her clipboard in front of her and stood with her back straight. Izuku was going to miss Akiko, she was a great nurse. He stood and he smiled down at her and reached out a hand. She smiled a little more as she grasped his and shook.

"Hopefully it'll be the last time Sakata-san. I'll miss you!" said Isuku, his eyes crinkling. He put his hand back down as he made his way to the door.

"Be safe Izu-kun!" Akiko waved as they said goodbye. Izuku waved back as he gave her one last smile, making his way out of the room, down the hall, past the receptionist and out of the clinic for the last time...he hopes.

Izuku was currently walking down the street on his way to school. His doctors note was only to get him out of the first half of classes, so he had some ground to cover if he wanted to make it to school on time. He looked down at his phone and noted the time, 10:44. He quickly opened up his messenger app and sent his mother a text.

 _10:44_ _Isuku: On my way to school Mom! I love you!_

He closed the app, locked the phone and put it back in his pocket. His red boots thudded softly on the concrete as he walked through the late morning crowd. The sky was blue and the sun shone brightly upon Musutafu's streets. The people milled about as some made their way to work, others just enjoying the weather. He passed a vendor selling dango and ramen from a cart as a man in a suit talked on the phone and held everyone else in line up. What no one else saw was the small bird resting on the edge of the food cart, staring at the dango with bright red eyes and orange feathers that seemed to glow. Izuku closed his eyes, breathed deeply, then shook his head

' _None of it's real, none of it's real, none of it's real…'_ chanted Izuku in his mind as he slowly opened his eyes and watched as the bird faded from view, his eyes now sore and feeling heavy. Izuku smiled as he made his way further along the road. He was normal.


	2. Medication and Slime

Izuku looked out the window of his classroom. Most of the other students were busy either talking or arguing about one thing or another. Katsuki's voice easily rose above the rest given his habit of shouting over the people around him. Isuku rested his elbow on his wooden desktop and admired the small tufts of white that floated by outside. He always felt lucky to have a window seat in the classroom. It really helped ease his wandering mind. It helped take his mind off of the roughness of his clothing, the sound of peoples pencils scratching, the contemptuous and mocking voices that tended to float words towards him and most of all it helped him relax.

Fluorescent bulbs hummed above him as the chatter in the classroom continued. He let himself get lost in all of it and his mind wandered to other things. He wondered once more what he may be able to do to become a hero. He wondered if it was even possible. His lips thinned and turned down at the edges of his mouth. Frowning always made him feel uncomfortable. He turned back towards the front of the class when he heard the door to the classroom slide open. The homeroom teacher walked in dressed in a blue button up shirt, brown slacks and glasses. A plain looking man for a plain school.

"Alright class, listen up! Today we will be handing out evaluation sheets to help you decide what you want to be…" The teacher grabbed a thick stack of papers, holding them in his hand as he cast his gaze towards his students. He smirked as he threw the papers into the air.

"Why bother? I know you all want to be heros anyhow! Haha!" Laughed the the teacher. The class cheered and laughter followed. Several students started up new conversations and one even called across the room.

"Hey! Bokugo? Aren't you applying to U.A.?" Asked one of the students, a plain looking girl with black hair and grey eyes. If Izuku was remembering correctly she had a quirk that gave her exceptional smell. The class all turned towards Bokugo, his face smug, as they looked at him in awe.

"Woah, is that true Bokugo? Isn't it supposed to be super hard to get into U.A.?" Asked a boy on the other side of class. Bokugo laughed sharply and scoffed. He set his eyes into his patented scowl as he stood up form his chair and looked around the room.

"Maybe for all you extras, but I'm gonna destroy that entrance exam! I already aced the mock exam!" Shouted Katsuki confidently. That's something Izuku always admired about Katsuki. He was confident to a fault. Of course it all stemmed from his powerful quirk, explosion. If Katsuki had been gifted with a quirk similar to the ones half of the class had he'd be much more humble. Izuku like to think about if Kaachan had developed a quirk like his mothers glycerin, would he have been more humble or would he have found something about that to flaunt as well?

"Wait, isn't Midorya applying to U.A. also?" Asked the teacher. The entire class fell silent as they turned to face Izuku. For his part, Izuku was still too distracted pondering the things that could have been to notice the dramatic shift in the atmosphere of the class. He remained this way until Kaachan came up to his desk and slammed his open palm down on it, making an explosion rock the desk and bring Izuku out of his stupor. Izuku looked straight into the rage filled glare of one Bokugo Katsuki. He returned the glare with his own bloodshot dry-eyed stare.

"Something I can do for you Kaachan?" Asked Izuku. Bokugo growled and grabbed Izuku by his collar, pulling him close to his face and narrowing his eyes.

"What makes you think a quirkless, pill popping, basket case like you could ever be a hero?!" Demanded Bokugo. Izuku stared at him, mostly unaffected by the shouting. He went over it in his head and took a moment to reply.

"Because it's what I want to do Kaachan." replied Izuku. He smiled at Bokugo, the drugs in his system making him unafraid. Bokugo tightened his grip on Izukus collar and growled louder as he ground his teeth together.

"Aagh! You're a fuckin' useless piece of shit Deku! Why don't you just take a swan dive off the damn roof! Maybe then you'll get a damn quirk in the next life and take your fuckin' crazy with ya!" Hollered Bokugo, throwing Izuku to the ground. Izuku slammed into the floor and winced in pain as he watched Bokugo walk away.

' _Sometimes...I wish I had Kaachan still…'_ thought Izuku somberly. He truly did miss his childhood friend. He sighed and picked himself off the ground as the bell rang, the rest of the students laughing and calling him names and leaving. He grabbed his bag off his desk and reached into his bag, pulling out an orange bottle. His phone started signalling a bell to tell him it was medication time. Izuku pulled his phone out, silenced it and returned to his bag, then proceeded to open the bottle. He shook one of the red pills into his hand and staring at the blue line. He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill. Replacing the cap and then putting the bottle in his bag, Izuku began to make his way home for the day….

The sun was shining brightly today, too bright for Izuku. He ducked into the underpass to get into the shade. As much as he loved beautiful days, the sun could still get him overheated. He stared down at the grey concrete as it contrasted with the light that struggled to reach into the tunnel. Izuku sat down against the wall of the tunnel. Today hadn't gone very well, but he supposed they almost never did. At least Bokugo hadn't injured him today, so there was that.

Izuku let his eyes wander the tunnel as he thought back to his one time friend. He couldn't count the number of times he'd tried to get Kaachan to believe that he had a quirk, but like everyone else they just called him crazy and told him to be a good boy and take his crazy pills….figures. Izuku was getting tired of all of this, but he had his dreams. He had to try to become a hero, if not for himself then for everyone else. He made to stand up when the sound of rattling steel entered his ears.

"A medium Vessel to help me escape this city! Exactly what I needed! Hahaha!" yelled a voice that seemed to originate from the growing pile of ooze that was pouring out of the manhole cover on the ground. Izuku's breath hitched, his body froze for only a second before he did that only thing he knew he could do. He ran.

As Izuku was turning to sprint away the Ooze lounged at inhuman speeds towards him and wrapped itself around him. Izuku tried to close his mouth, but he was too late. The ooze was forcing itself into him as it's evil laugh filled the access tunnel. What kind of villain was this!? Izuku felt the world around him fading away as he was slowly losing consciousness. Sparkles of white and white butterflies filled the edges of his vision as he started fading…

"Texaaaas...SMASH!" Thundered a voice as izuku felt the world around him finally fall away.

"Uuugh, my head…" moaned Izuku as he got on his hands and knees, slowly standing with a hand gripping his head. He opened his eyes and looked around the tunnel. Only thing here was concrete and All-Might…

"All-Might!?" shouted Izuku in shock. Sure enough, standing just a few feet away from him in all of his smiling glory was All-Might, number one hero and the pillar of justice and peace. Was he just saved by his childhood idol?

"Have no fear! For I am here! Haha!" shouted All-Might with a laugh at the end. He held two bottles up in Izuku's line of sight. Two eyes floated in one of the bottles. Was this the villain? 

"I've apprehended the villain! Thank you for distracting him young man! I apologize that you had to go through with that." said the number one hero. Izuku struggled to come up with anything to say, his mind drew a blank as he stared up at his hero.

"A-all-might, I-I-I'm a huge fan! T-Thank you for saving me!" choked out Izuku. He was seeing stars he was so stunned. All-Might laughed once more and struck a pose.

"Of course citizen, anything to help! Now, I must be off. This villain needs to be put into custody!" shouted All-Might as he squatted, ready to leap. Izuku reached out to stop him. He had to ask him the question!

"All-Might! Wait, I have a question!" shouted Izuku. All-Might's grin faltered for a moment.

"I'm sorry young man, but justice can't wait. Good day!" shouted All-Might. Izuku couldn't just let this chance slip by because he was meek. He did the only thing that came to mind. He jumped and grabbed All-Might's leg as he leapt into the air. Izuku held on for dear life as the two rocketed through the air. All-Might looked down at him in a panic and shook his leg.

"Your fanaticism is appreciated, but you must let go young man!" shouted All-Might. Izuku just held on tighter as he struggled to stay attached. The wind whipped by his face as the duo shot through the air. They rose high above the buildings and into the blue sky and he'd never felt more afraid than at this very moment.

"I can't let go! I'll die! I need to ask you just one question, please!" begged Izuku. The wind whipped by so fast that his tears vanished before he ever felt them leave his eyes. All-Might hesitated, but made the decision to allow this boy his one question. Something at the back of his mind told him that it'd be best if he did.

"Alright, young man, what is it you'd like to ask me?" questioned All-Might. The duo had landed on a rooftop a few moments before and Izuku was still catching his breath. That had been terrifying. All-Might did that all the time?

"Y-yes. All-Might? Is.." Izuku hesitated. The wind blew across the rooftop and the sun felt hot on his skin as he stood across from the world number one hero. Breathing deeply and clenching his fist, Izuku looked All-Might right in the eyes as he asked the biggest question he'd ever had.

"Can I be a hero?!" shouted Izuku, only to notice that instead of All-Might there was a terribly thin man in his place. Confusion washed over Izuku. Smoke was being blown away from the man as he coughed roughly into his closed fist. The man was blonde, blue eyes with black sclera, and terrible sharp features due to his being thin. Also, he seemed to be swimming in his clothes. He had a deep frown on his face as he faced Izuku. It took a moment, but Izuku realized...this is the true All-Might.

"Damn…" muttered All-Might. He sighed as he stood up as straight as he could manage in is powered-down state. He looked to the stunned silent young man. The boy was thin, taller than most he'd seen his age, and his eyes were bloodshot. The young lad's green hair seemed to fall over his eyes. He looked like he needed a damn haircut. Said hair moved about in the breeze the blew across the concrete rooftop.

"What...what happened to you All-Might?" asked izuku in a small voice. His hero look to be wasting away. He'd never imagined that the number one hero could be in such dire straits. Was this why he was being seen less and less? Was there some sort of time limit that his condition placed upon his power? It only made sense given the evidence thus far…

"You've already seen, so there is no point in hiding the truth from you young...:" said All-Might, waiting for Izuku to give him his name.

"M-midorya Iz-zuku." Izuku flushed and stuttered out his name. All-Might nodded, eyes closed as he memorized the name of the young man before him. He lifted his head and locked eyes with young Midorya.

"You must promise me young Midorya that what I'm about to tell you never leaves the two of us. Can you do that for me?" asked All-Might. He was about to give away his most greatest secret. If his enemies knew the extent of the damage done to him, then they no doubt would increase their efforts to take his life ten-fold. The eyes of the young man hardened and filled with a resolve he seldom witnessed in youths like himself. Maybe there was something special about this young man.

"You can count on me All-Might, I promise that anything you tell me will stay between the two of us." promised Izuku, his voice strong, resolute and unwavering. All-Might smiled sadly as he nodded, lifting his loose white shirt to reveal the hideous scarred wound beneath. Izuku's face froze as he inspected the damage to his biggest Hero.

"Several years ago, I was in a fight and I was injured. This-" All-might pointed to his wound, "-was the result of that fight. I lost my stomach, sixty five percent of my lung capacity, and several metres of intestine." said All-Might as he lowered his shirt. He cringed as the scar pulled his skin and muscles.

"Your fight with Toxic-Chainsaw five years ago? There's no way his attack could have done that! The wounds he inflicted wouldn't have that point of impact…" said Izuku in response to the information that All-Might had revealed. All-Might cast his gaze downward as a mirthless smirk adorned his face.

"You are quite correct young Midorya. This was indeed a wound inflicted by a foe other than Toxic-Chainsaw. This fight was kept out of the public eye for the sake of peace. If anyone knew that I were injured so...the villains of this world would be far too bold." said All-Might. He cast his gaze once more to young Midorya. The boy had a dire look on his face as he opened his mouth to speak.

"All-Might, I understand the need to hide your injury. I still need to know, is it possible for someone without a quirk or without one that's strong, someone like me, to become...a hero?" asked Izuku, hope filling his voice even though he had a feeling what All-Might would say next.

"Now that you know the truth young Midorya, do you understand me when I say that...no, someone like you can not be a hero." said All-Might, eyes hard and sadness pooling behind his black orbs. He never wants to be the one to crush dreams.

"There are so many other honorable professions out there. You could become a teacher, a doctor, maybe even a police officer. One need not be a hero to save people Izuku." spoke All-Might as he stepped forward. Izuku had his eyes cast down, hair casting a shadow that made his expression unreadable. All-Might raised a hand and grasped Izuku's shoulder, making the young man jump and freeze. All-Might took a deep breath and continued to speak, "Some people are born to be heros Others, as much as they may want to be, are meant for other things." Izuku was shaking at this point, tears falling onto the pavement, "You seem like a fine young man Izuku, I'm certain you could put your mind and heart to good use. Some people just can't be Heros." said All-Might, squeezing Izuku's shoulder.

"You..you don't get it…" whispered Izuku. He whipped his head up and his stare bored right into All-Might's soul, " I can't be a Police Officer, or a doctor, or even a damn teacher! No one would ever hire me! Not when I have records going back to when I was six years old saying I'm a Psychotic Schizophrenic that hallucinates and sees things that aren't real!" shouted Izuku with his fists clenched. He felt his nails digging deep into his skin and he ground his teeth as he tensed his jaw. All-Might's eyes widened as he took the information in.

"I've had this damn quirk for almost ten years and all it's done is make everyone think I'm crazy. For ten years I've endured it all. I've put up with pills, doctors, examinations, lab studies, medical trials and experimental drug after experimental drug!" shouted Izuku. Years of pent up anger surged forth as he laid his heart out in front of his number one hero, " I've had to put up with my mother, my best friend, my teachers and fellow students telling me I'm just a nut job who sees invisible things that aren't real when all i wanted was a quirk so I could be like you All-Might! So I could save people with a smile! So I could put myself before others and be a true Hero like you!" yelled Izuku. He panted as he ran out of breath from yelling. His chest heaved and the wind blew strongly once more across the rooftop, picking up dust and blowing in into the distance.

"I'm sorry...young Midorya." said All-Might, a look of sadness in his eyes. Izuku just hung his head and turned away.

' _You can't be a Hero...I'm sorry young Midorya…'_ Izuku walked down the crowded street as the voice of All-Might played back in his head. His whole body shivered as he walked down the street. He needed his meds. He searched his bag, sifting through the pens, pencils, erasers, dozen notebooks and loose papers. He searched again, and again, and again. Izuku began to panic as he dumped his bag on the concrete and couldn't find the bottle of his meds. Where were they?!

' _They must have fallen out when I flew through the air with All-Might!'_ yelled Izuku in his might. He hurriedly shoveled his belongings back into his bag and sat down in the middle of the sidewalk, legs drawn up to his chest. He didn't notice the stares people were giving him as he started to cry. The warm sun, the gentle breeze, the sound of the city all fell away as voices filled Izuku's head. His panic was taking over.

' _I'm so sorry my sweet angel, It's all Mommy's fault! She w-wasn't strong e-enough to give you a g-good quirk!"_ the voice of his mother echoes in his head. He sobbed and muttered to himself.

"It's not your fault mom…" choked out Izuku, the tears falling down his face and staining his lets.

' _You can't be a Hero Izuku...I'm sorry'_ Echoed All-Mights voice in his head. His eyes were burning as he cried harder. His ears filled with the sound of static. He started rocking back and forth gently.

' _Stupid Deku! I can't be seen hanging out with some basket case! Get lost your psycho freak!'_ shouted the spectre like voice of Kaachan, his once upon a time friend. He missed having his friend so much. Izuku cried even harder and opened his mouth, biting down on his knee to stifle the cries of anguish.

An explosion ripped through the afternoon air, immediately ripping Izuku out of his panic. People were running by him and shouting. He noticed the crown forming at the end of the block. He stood on shaking legs and started running towards the explosions that started to fill the air. Izuku was praying that he was wrong as he made it to the crown and began pushing his way through. The air was thick with smoke and he could see fires burning just beyond the crowd and smoke was darkening the sky.

"A villain attack!" shouted a man to his left. He shouldered his way past a portly man that was recording the event.

"Isn't that the villain All-Might was chasing earlier?" Asked another woman to his right. Isuku ducked underneath the outstretched arm of police officer.

"Where is he? Why aren't any of the Hero's doing anything?" questioned another woman.

"The villain captured some middle school student, they can't do anything without risking hitting him!" Shouted another man. Dread filled Izuku and his stomach dropped as he broke out to the front of the crowd and finally got a good view of the scene.

The slime villain from earlier was in the middle of the square. Entombed in the sludge and much at front of this abomination was Kaachan. Izuku froze. The Hero's weren't able to save Kaachan. All-Might wasn't coming, he'd already used all of his power for the day. Kaachan was going to-

At that moment Bokugo Katsuki locked eyes with Izuku. Tears were streaming down his face and his eyes screamed one thing, _**'Save me!'**_

Izuku felt the static fade away and clarity fell over him when he realized he had leapt over the barricade. He was sprinting faster than he ever had when the cries of the Hero's and officers reached him telling him to stop. He refused. He may not be Kaachan's friend, but Kaachan was still his. Even then, someone needed help and refused to stand by.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Izuku included, All-Might was in the crowd watching the events unfold with shock. He clenched his chest as he felt something burning inside of him.

 _'You have the gall to call yourself a hero when this boy, no, this young man charges into a fight with nothing but the will to save the innocent?!'_ he growled as he felt something burning and growing deep inside of his heart.

Wind rushed by Izuku as his red boots slammed down into the ground. He ran faster than he ever had before. The world around him was sharp, clear and perfect. He could see everything from the grains of wood in Kaumai woods branches to the dust on the back of his hand. The sunlight shone brightly down upon him as he ducked into a baseball slide to get underneath a tentacle that was sent his way. Using his momentum he righted himself and kept running. He saw the fear in Kaachan's eyes, but he also saw a small glimmer of hope fill them as he got nearer to him. Electricity felt like it was flowing through his body. He jumped over another tentacle and after landing he reared back with his bag.

Using all of the strength he had in his arm he swing and hit the eyes of the sludge villain. The effect was immediate.

"Aagh! You fucking nuisance! I'm going to end you with this new vessel of mine!" shouted the villain. Izuku ignored him, bringing the bag back across the sludge villain's eyes and letting the bag fly off as he leapt up. His instincts told him where he needed to slide his hands in, his arms diving into the sludge and grasping Kaachan tightly under the shoulders. The electric tingle in his body made him pull with more strength than he ever knew he possessed.

"Aagh!" yelled Izuku, his arms, legs and back muscles bulging and pushed to their maximum. He kept pulling with all of his might as sweat began pouring down his face. He only had a few more seconds. Kaachan's eyes were starting to grow dimmer as he lost his oxygen supply. Izuku had to pull harder!

"AAAHH!" he bellowed, voice straining as he used every last ounce of power and energy he had. Kaachan looked up into his eyes with tears as the slime and sludge started to pull away from his body as Izuku pulled him away. Finally, after what felt like an eternity a loud squelch and pop was heard as the two teens flew backwards, Izuku holding his friend close to him as they landed, rolling so that he could protect Kaachan from the attack that was guaranteed to follow. Izuku stood propped up on hands and knees and Kaachan was already weakly beating against his chest trying to get him to run.

"Move you f-fuckin' Baka! Fuckin D-deku! Why!?" begged Kaachan. Izuku just smiled down at his first and only friend. Bokugo choked up and felt anger flare at that damn Izuku only grin. That anger melted away when Izuku spoke.

"Even the best hero's need help sometimes Kaachan." said Izuku, a smile in his eyes. The villain finally recovered. Bokugo Katsuki was stunned into silence. He'd tormented Izuku since they were kids. He'd bullied him, beat him up, berated him and made him the lowest of the low, but Izuku had still risked his lift to safe Katsuki's.

"I'm gonna kill you, damn brat!" shouted the villain. Izuku tensed as he readied himself and waited, but the blow never came.

"I'm sorry...I took so long." said a voice. Izuku whipped his head around. Before him, blood pouring from his mouth, but a massive grin on his face, was All-Might. All-Might was holding the villain back with one arm!

"All-Might!" shouted both Izuku and Katsuki.

"I was wrong, young Midorya." said All-Might. He turned to face the villain and reared his fist back. All-Might grins at the villain.

"It's fine. Why? Because, I am here!" shouted All-Might. The crowd and even some of the Hero's began to cheer. This only angered the villain as it roared and began to slam it's tentacles down towards All-Might.

"Texas SMASH!" shouts All-Might, fist flying forwards and creating a massive cannon of air. The giant air bullet created by his fist shreds the villain and ascends to the heavens, twisting the clouds and causing rain to fall in a downpour and put out the fires surrounding the fight scene, aweing the crowd as cries of joy filled the air.

Izuku was walking away from an officer when All-Might, in his weaker form, walked up to him.

"Young Midorya, may I have a word with you?" asked All-Might. Izuku nodded his consent as they walked away from the crowd. The sun was finally coming back out. All-Might put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"I want to apologize young Midorya. I was wrong." said All-Might. Izuku felt his breath hitch.

"W-what do you meant?" asked Izuku. All-Might smiled as he searched Izuku's eyes. The sun was getting bright and beginning to break free of the clouds. The sound of a flourishing city echoes all around them.

"When you rushed to save your friend, what happened?" he asked Izuku.

"I don't know, I just moved. All I knew was that someone needed me." responded Izuku. All-Might grinned. Just as he suspected.

"Young Midorya, the greatest heroes all speak of a moment in their past. A moment where they didn't think, they just acted. You, young man, just had that moment." said All-Might. The bright light filled Izuku's eyes, Yagi swore he saw them turn grey for a moment.

"D-d-do y-you m-mean?" asked Izuku. All-Might smiled warmly at him.

"Yes, you can be a great Hero Izuku." said All-Might. Izuku's eyes filled with tears as he trembled. He could be a...Hero?

"Yes, I believe you can be the best Hero Young Midorya. So much so that I want to help you get there." said Yagi. Izuku looked up at All-Might as the sun started to shine on the hero. He swore he caught a glimpse of that heroic smile.

"H-how?" asked Izuku.

"By earning my power. You, Midorya Izuku, will be my successor and you shall receive my quirk!"


	3. Thank you

Izuku stood in front of the door that led into his home. The sun was setting on the city, the tower blocks casting long shadows as he stood here working up the strength to enter, to confront his mother. There's no doubt in his mind that she would have witnessed today's events on the television. She would be worried sick about him. He started to pick at the hem of his jacket. It was frayed and dirty from the fight earlier. This let him find a loose string to play with to try and settle his now rattled mind.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried his best to control his breathing. He was having withdrawals from not taking his six o'clock dose of medication. His jaw was twitching, he was skittish, and restless. The worst part was the shooting pains that came from his eyes. He just wanted it to stop. He turned and gave another glance to the city skyline.

So much good had came out of this day. So much more than he had ever hoped could happen. He was terrified that he was going to wake up tomorrow and be told that everything had been a cruel joke, an hallucination, that Kacchan had never been in trouble. He was scared that there had been no All-Might and that he was not going to become a Hero. Izuku knew he shouldn't worry, shouldn't be terrified, but he was.

Taking one last look at the sunset, Izuku sighed as he grasped the door knob and turned it. The door creaked open as he pushed it open. Light filled the inside of the small two bedroom apartment. He kicked his red boots off as he stepped inside before he shut the door behind him. Grey carpet softly crunched under his feet as he crept down the green painted hall. He could hear the living room TV playing softly in the main room. Izuku felt his stomach fill with guilt and sadness as the sounds of soft sobs filled the next room. Steadying his nerves and taking a deep breath, Izuku prepared himself for what was to come.

"Mom! I'm home!" shouted Izuku, his voice echoed slightly in the small hallway. He waited as the sobbing ceased and the sound of sniffles replaced it. He heard the shifting of fabric and cushions when the crying and sniffling form of Midoriya Inko barreled out of the main room and into him. She was crying and squeezing him with more strength than he thought possible. Tears were running down her face as she was sobbing.

"What happened to you! I-I k-kept calling a-a-and you never picked up! I was so worried that my baby boy was hurt!" sobbed his mother. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I'm alright Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean to w-worry you.." he said, trying his best to soothe her worries. Izuku very rarely witnessed his mother in such a state. He never wanted to see it.

"Why?! Why did you put yourself in danger like that? What if you had been hurt!?" asked Inko. She looked into her sons eyes, her tears still flowing freely. She had been so worried when she'd seen the TV report and the images of her little angel sprinting like a bat out of hell into the clutches of that abomination!

Izuku felt even more guilt swell up inside of him as he saw the sadness, worry and despair filling his mother's gaze. He gave her the biggest smile he could manage given how exhausted he was.

"I had to, I couldn't let Kacchan get hurt…" he said. She felt pride well in her chest at the mention that her son had saved his childhood friend. The smile that he was giving her made all of that worry of hers start to melt away

"My little Izu, always going out of his way to save people." she said, smiling with tear-filled eyes. She stepped back from him and looked him up and down. He seemed battered and scuffed, but her dear boy was safe. She placed a hand upon his dirty cheek and smiled, "Come on my little angel. Let's get some dinner and you can tell me everything."

The smell of katsudon filled the small kitchen as Izuku and is mother sat the table together. He had been explaining his day to her between bites of vegetables and pork. He explained everything from the first encounter with the slime creature to the last moments when All-Might punched the monster to the sky. Izuku was currently chewing on a piece of pork as he went through his final talk with All-Might, with some edits of course.

"So...that's when All-Might told me I could become a hero!" exclaimed Izuku, excitement filling him as he finished the last of his meal. His mother had listened to his story with rapt attention. Her face shifted from worry, to shock, to joy and finally pride.

"My little Izu, you're so grown up." Said his mother. Her son had come so far. He had so much farther to go, but she knew he would be alright. She stood with her empty dishes and grabbed Izuku's before making her way to the sink. Her smile faltered as she placed the dishes into the sink.

"He even offered to train me! Can you believe it?" asked Izuku with a smile on his face and joy in his voice. Inko couldn't believe it. She still remembers when Izuku had his dreams of being a hero crushed as a child. Now that he had a chance, she knew he would take it. She started to rinse the crumbs and remnants off of the plates. Thoughts drifted through her mind as she felt the hot water run across her hands and the dishes. Worry was at the forefront of her mind.

"Izuku?" she asked quietly. Her son immediately noticed the sudden shift in her attitude. He stood from the table and walked up beside her, putting the now clean dishes into the drying rack. A look of worry had taken hold of his features. Inko turned to look at him.

"I know how much t-this means to you, but p-please promise me that... if things don't work out you'll not let it get to you?" she asked. What she wanted to say, what she wanted to beg him to promise, was that he would not let it destroy him. She wanted him to promise not to fall apart and to not let his possible failure ruin him. She didn't want to lose her baby.

Izuku smiled at his mom and put the last dish away. He reached into the sink and grabbed her hands, the hands that had raised him, fed him, cared for him his entire life. His mom tried so hard, always wanting him to have as good a life as he could. He squeezed his mother's hands as he spoke his next words with confidence.

"I promise that I'll be okay Mom, regardless of what happens. You don't have to worry about me, not this time. I'm going to do this." The words left him and he felt every one of them resonate within his heart.

"I can do this Mom." stated Izuku firmly. His eyes held a look of pure determination. His mother knew that she couldn't stop him, but she also knew that she shouldn't. She smiled at her son and nodded.

"You'll be so great Izuku." whispered Inko.

"Alright class, remember! Tonight's assignment is to read one of the three offered books and write a paper detailing the effects of socialism on an impoverished society. Have a good afternoon everyone." said Izuku's homeroom teacher. Various sounds of dread filled the classroom. Izuku had already prepared last week when the teacher handed out the lesson plan.

The students in the class stood up and started gathering their things so that they could begin their afternoon now that they were free from the death grip of school. In the midst of this busy mass of students sat Izuku.

Izuku was currently holding his hands against his head with his eyes shut as he attempted to stave off a massive migraine. He sighed in discomfort as he pulled his bag into his lap. Sifting through it's contents rewarded him with an orange medicine bottle. He unscrewed the cap and proceeded to down one of the small red pills with a blue stripe. He forced the pill down in hopes that maybe his headache came from his missed doses the evening before.

 _Slam!_

Izuku jumped in his seat as a hand slammed down on his desk. His legs stung from having slammed into the bottom of his desk. He lifted his gaze to meet the owner of the offending limb and his eyes met the red irises of one Bakugo 'Kacchan' Katsuki. Izuku started to feel a bit nervous at the tense look on his former friends face.

"H-hey Boku-," Izuku attempted to choke out a greeting only to be interrupted by Katsuki.

"Listen here and listen good Izuku! I'm only going to say this once and then I'm leaving, got that fuck-head!?" Yelled Bakugo, his face and voice not filled with as much anger as usual. Izuku nodded once as the shadow of his one time friend and longtime bully was cast over him. Katsuki pointed a finger at himself.

"I'm NOT weak! I don't need help from anyone and don't think that stunt from yesterday changes anything! Understand?!" shouted Bakugo. Izuku nodded once. He looked Bakugo in the eyes as the fires simmered and Katsuki relaxed slightly.

"As much as I hate to say it, I…I...wa-" Bakugo hesitated as he struggled to get his words out. Isuku was actually starting to worry.

"Bakugo, if this is about y-yesterd-day, I haven't sai-" Izuku tried to apologize for the day before, but he was interrupted by a glare from Bakugo.

"I'm stronger than you Deku. Let's make that clear. I can destroy you!" yelled Bakugo. Izuku stood his ground, even if he was both confused and worried.

"That's why I'm only saying this once." said Bakugo, his hand raising off the desk and held outward. Izuku stared down at it for a moment, confused as to what exactly was going on. This seemed to aggravate Bakugo.

"Are you gonna shake my fuckin hand or what?!" yelled Bakugo, hand starting to shake from his barely contained rage. Izuku jumped at the sudden outburst and hurriedly grabbed the offered hand and shook it once. Seemingly satisfied with the exchange, Bakugo released his grip on Izuku and held eye contact with him as he spoke a word Izuku never thought he'd hear directed at himself from him.

"Thanks." said Bakugo quietly. He nodded and then turned, walking to the door and out of the classroom.

Izuku was currently riding one of the many city buses that traverses Musutafu every day. He had his head leaning against the glass as he tried to fight off the migraine. It seemed like everything was aggravating it. The only thing that was helping was the fact that the sun was now hidden by the building grey clouds. It was probably going to rain later.

The bus was crowded but Izuku had still managed to find an empty seat near a window in the back two rows of the bus. He was thankful for not having to share it. Izuku was terrible with social interaction.

The bus began to slow down as it reached the next stop. Izuku hoped that no one would try to sit with him. He reached into the messenger bag on his lap and removed a notebook and pencil. The sound of the bus coming to a complete stop, the air brakes hissing, had filled his ears. Maybe he could make the ride to his apartment go by faster with some sketches. A side effect of his headache were his hallucinations returning. Most days he ignored them. Sometimes he panicked. Today? Today he felt like cataloguing.

He flipped through his notebook to get to a blank page. Sketches of rabbits with antlers, cats with multiple tails, and many other fantasy-esc creatures filled his notebook. Today he felt like drawing the bird he had seen yesterday. It reminded him of a phoenix crossed with an owl. It had actually been rather interesting, even if he hadn't wanted to see it. Izuku snapped out of his thoughts by a feminine voice.

"Mind if I take a seat here?" asked said cheerful and feminine voice.

Izuku turned his head and felt his mind go blank when he laid eyes on who had just spoken. It was a girl around his age. She had short white hair that was covered by a black knit hat with pins on it, blue eyes and was smiling. She had on a pink skirt, black leggings, pink high tops, and an oversized white shirt with the logo for some kind of video game on it. She raised one of her white eyebrows and giggled.

"Well? Can I?" She asked him.

Izuku snapped out of his stupor and slid over to the window to give her as much room as possible. He nodded quickly which got another giggle from her. She slid into the seat and leaned back.

"Thanks man!" She said.

"You're welcome" mumbled Izuku in return. He'd never spoken to a girl before today, let alone a cute one like her. His face was bright red from his embarrassment. He pulled his notebook back out and continued to sketch the bird. From what he remembered, it had looked like a large horned owl, but it had long feathers and odd fringes like eyebrows. It's wide eyes had been staring at the cooking food with desire. It must have been very hungry. He started to sketch the talons when the girl next to him spoke up.

"Woah! That look super good! What is it?" She asked.

Izuku looked over to her and noticed the look of awe in her blue eyes. She had her phone in her right hand. She'd probably been texting when she spotted his drawing. She had scooted closer to him and her shoulder brushed against his. His face immediately turned a deep red. He struggled to respond with something understandable, but he managed to speak.

"I-it's a b-bird. I.." he stopped. He couldn't tell her he hallucinated it, then she'd just think he was a freak. Maybe he could tell her something else? Maybe...a dream!

"I dreamed of it." he stated. Her eyes seemed to sparkle at this.

"Woah! It's super cool! Do you have any more?" asked the girl. She seemed to be getting very excited. Izuku hesitated to tell her that he did. He had many of them in fact. He couldn't resist this opportunity though, a cute girl was interested in his drawings!

"Y-yes, I've got several. This notebook has a few. Want to see?" he asked her. She nodded vigorously. Izuku flipped to the previous page. On it was a cat. This cat had very long ears, a long tail and large paws. It was drawn in a resting position with it's paws crossed. It had one large eye open and staring. At the time Izuku had been experiencing a brutal migraine. This cat had come up to him and let him pet it. He hadn't even noticed it was anything more than a weird looking cat until it faded with his headache.

"It's sooo cute! Have you been drawing for very long?" asked the girl. She was now shoulder to shoulder with Izuku.

"Since I was seven." replied Izuku. He'd been keeping journals ever since he was four, but he didn't start drawing until he started hallucinating even though he had medicine. It seemed to happen more often the older he got…

"You're super good! I wish I could draw like that…" said the girl. She actually seemed sad now. Izuku didn't think it looked good on her.

"I bet you could. It's just practice. I was terrible when I started." said Izuku with a slight chuckle. He had actually been terrible at first, but he was a perfectionist. The girl still looked sad, but she perked up a little.

"I doubt that. It's kind of difficult for me given my quirk." said the girl. Izuku decided that sadness was a terrible emotion for her face.

"I could teach you, ya know. I-if you want...that is?" offered Izuku as he shifted his gaze to his lap. Only now did he realize how crazy he sounded. He hadn't even known this girl for ten minutes and he was offering her drawing lessons? He was hopeless. He didn't miss the sudden shift next to him. He looked over at the girl and noticed the hopeful look in her eyes.

"You would? For real? B-but, I don't even know your name…" she said. Izuku smiled at her and offered her his hand for a handshake.

"Midoriya Izuku!" he said, extending his hand. She smiled and took the offered hand.

"Hagakure Toru! It's nice to meet you!" said Toru. They shook hands as the bus came to a stop. Toru jerked her head to the side and looked out the window.

"Oh! This is my stop. Man, time sure flies. Here!" She said as she grabbed his notebook. She flipped to the back page and quickly wrote down a series of numbers.

"Message me any time. See ya Izuku!" bid Toru as she stood up and waved goodbye. She made her way off the bus. Izuku smiled.

 _Bzzz!_

Izuku reached into his bag for his phone and noticed a message:

 _Meet me at Dagobah beach! - All Might_


End file.
